Snap cotton crusher and separator.



W. 'R. LAMB.

SNAP COTTON GRUSHER AND SEPARATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT.26, 1907.

Patented Apr. 6, 1909.

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avwvml'ov (0276. 3.4022166 W. R. LAMB.

SNAP COTTON CRUSHBE AND SEPARATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1907.

Patented. Apr. 6, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wi I cones UMTED TATE @Fl-ETQE.

witLiai R. rails, or BOWIE, TEXAS.

SNAP CBIUiE-T-E'EE AND. SEPARATOR.

ful-Improvements in'Snap Cotton Crushers and Separators, of which the following is a specification. 1 This invention appertains to apparatus or machinery designed most especially for use in connection with elevating and distributmg systems oi cotton gins for crushing the bolls of cotton, separating the hulls, dirt,

trash and other foreign matter from the cotton and purifying the latter at it passes from the wagon or seed cotton storage house to the receivers and feeders oi the various cot ton gins;

The invention is adapted either for pneumatic elevating and distributing systems, or those which involve the use oi the suction conduit or tube 'for taking the cotton from the wagon or seed cotton storage house and conveying the same to the feeders of the cotton ins, the crushing, separating and puritying evices being arranged in the path of the cotton between the wagons or seed cotton storage house and the elevator receivers over the cotton gins so as to facilitate the crushing of the bolls of the snap cotton and the removal of the cotton therefrom and the puritying of the cotton from dirt, trash and other foreign matter before it reaches the feeders of the gins, thereby decreasing wear upon the gin saws and other operating parts of the machinery and conducing to increasing-the life or period of service thereof.

The invention is also applicable to mechanical distributers utilizing a belt and may be advantageously employed in all sections where cotton is raised to clean and purify the same and insure high grade product of lint and adding materially to its value and stability,

The invention is especially iulapted i or northern and western sections, where the cotton is late in maturing and is frosted before the bolls open to admit oft-he cotton being picked as the bolls can be snapped or pulled from the plants and crushed, separated and purified and ginned into a marketable productcommanding a good price.

'For'a full understandingot the invention and'the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means; foretl ecting the result, reference Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 26, 190?. Y Serial. No. 394,692.

- greater than the amount distributed Patented April 6, 1909.

is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical central longitudinal section of a cotton crusher, separator and purifier embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section thereof on the line m9: of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a modification. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of a further modification.

Corresponding and .likeparts are referred to in the following descriptionand indicated in all the views of the drawings by .the same reference characters.

The operating parts of the apparatus or machine are housed within a casing 1 through which air is circulated either by suction or blast. The length and size of the casing will depend upon the capacity of the machine and the number of gins to be supplied thereby. The casing I-has an inlet 2 at one end and an outlet 3 at the opposite end. The inlet 2 is adapted to be connected With a pipe or otherf'orm of conductor leading from either the 'wagcn to be unloaded or the cotton storage house from which the material is drawn to be crushed, separated and purified before being supplied to the gins. The outlet 3 may be connected in any manner with the feeder by means of which the purified cotton.is distributed or su plied to the various gins. The overflow rom the feeder or distributer of any make or type is returned to the receiving end of the machine and enters the casing at 4, said openin being controlled by means of a valve 5 which is closed when the supply is not in excess of the amount of material fed to the gins, but which val re is opened when the su ply is by the feeder so that the excess or overflow may be returned to the machine to be again supplied thereby to the gin distributer.

The crushing mechanism consists of three rotary heaters 6, 7 and 8 arranged in a group, and there may be as many groups as desired and according to the size and capacity of the machine, it being understood that the groups act successively upon the material passed between the elements thereof to insure a thorough crushing of the bolls and a loosening of the hulls from the cotton. The rotary heaters 6 and 7 are located at one side of the passage or space inclosed by the casing 1 and the rotary beater 8 is "arranged upon the opposite side of said passage or space with its teeth arranged to operate in the can said teeth may b provided in any number of oi the cotton until forcibly moved between spaces formed between the teeth of the rotary heaters 6 and 7. The rotary beater 8 is located directly opposite the space formed between the rotary boaters 6 and 7 and'its teeth approach close to the shafts of said beater-s 6 and 7. The teeth of the several heaters extending across the passage or space of the casing 1 move in the same direction so as to urge or positively move the cotton through the machine. The boaters 6 and '7 rotate in a clock-wise direction whereas the beater 8 rotates in an anti-clock-wiso direction. The extremities of the teeth of the several boaters curve in a relatively rearward direction so as to shed or clear the cotton more readily. A trap 9 is located beneath the rotary beater 6 and a similar trap 10 is arranged beneath the rotary beater T he traps 9 and 10 taper in form and are adapted to catch dirt, trash, broken hulls nd the like disengaged from the cotton in the process of crushing. Curves: 11 of Wire screening or reticulated material are located at the upper ends of the traps 9 and 10 and catch and retain cotton While providing for escape of dirt, trash and like foreign matter. The lower end of each of the traps 9 and 10 is contracted and provided with a valve 13 hinged at one edge and free to swing at the op osite edge. These valves are normally bed in a closed position by any suitable means, such as the suction within the casing, but may be readily opened at any time to remove the accun'iulations of dirt from-the tra s.

oncave teeth 15 and 16 roject into the space of the casing 1 at a slight inclination from the top of the machine and cooperate with the teeth of the respective heaters 6 and 7 to effect crushing of the cotton passing through the machine. The lower extremities of the teeth 15 and 16 are curved forward to admit of thecotton being readily dragged therefrom by the cooperating teeth of the heaters. The teeth 15 and 16 are arranged to o crate in the spaces formed between the teeth of the respective heaters 6 and 7, and

rows. The teeth 15 and 16 are secured to the upper side, of the casing in any substantial Way and arrest the forward movement them by the action of the teeth of the beaters. The cotton. is initially crushed between the teeth of the heater 6 and. the teeth 15 and is acted upon a second time by the teeth of the boaters 6 and 8 and a third time by being forced between the teeth of the boaters 8 and 7 and finally by the cooperation of the teeth of the beater 7 and the teeth 16. The several and successive crushing actions to which the cotton is subjected, breaks up the hulls and loosens dirt and foreign matter, which is separated by the meshes or openings of the curves 11. it is to be understood thg1 t the casing may be of any length according to the number of. groups of boaters or crushing I insure a close fit with the inner walls of the chaml'ier. The purpose of the rotary valve is to insure positive feed 01' the cotton to the ginv distrilmting mechanism, parti niarly when the same is of the belt distrihuter type.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1, the rotary valve 17 and its chamber are dispensed with, the pneumatic distributor of the gins having direct connection with the casing to receive the material immediately from the last heater 7 to the crusher. Fig. 1 also shows the casing provided with a pendent cou ling end 18, which formsa spout to direct tie cotton to a belt distributor. A valve 19 pivoted at 20 is adapted to be turned either to shut off delivery from the outlet 3 or the spout 18. This construction admits of the invention being applied to either a pneumatic distributer or a belt distributer. When a belt distributer' is employed for supplying the cotton to the several gins, the valve 19 is turned to cut on the cotton from the outlet 3 and to direct the same through the spout 18. A suction fan 21 is connected by means of a conveyor to the casing near its delivery end and at a point between the rotary valve 17 and the rearmost crusher 7-16. A valve 23 is adapted to close the up er end of the conveyer 22 when the mac iine is used in connection with a pneumatic gin distributor. When the machine is connected to a belt distributer, the valve is opened so that the suction fan 21 may draw ofi' foreign matter and at the same time create a suction through the casing to efi'ect delivery of the cotton to the spout 1S, whence it passes to said belt distributor.

In order that the interior of the machine may beobserved, protected openings 25 are provided in opposite sides of the casing and are located at the most advantageous points to admit of unobstructed observation ol' the workings of the machine.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a macl'iine of the character set forth, the combination. of a casing through which the cotton is designed to pass, two sets of fixed. teeth projecting within the casing upon one side of the path of the cotton, a pair of rotary heaters journaled. Within the casing upon the opposite side of the path of the cotton, each of the rotary boaters being pro-- vided with teeth cooperating with one of the sets of fixed teeth, a third rotary beat arranged between the pair of rotary heaters and upon the opposite side of the path of the cotton to the same, the said third'rota'ry beater being formed with teeth cooperating with the teeth of the pair of heaters, a trap arranged under each of the rotary heaters of the pair, and a curved reticulatedpartition located at the mouth of each of the traps and extending partially around the respective rotarybeater. Y

2. In a machine of the character set forth,

the combination of a casing through which the cotton is designed to pass, the said oas- 1ng being provided with an outlet and an inlet, two sets of fixed teeth projecting within the casing upon one side of the path of the cotton, 2. pair of rotary heaters journaled within the casing upon the opposite side of the path of the cotton and formed with teeth cooperating with the fixed teeth, a third rotary heater j ournaled within the casing upon 5 the opposite side of the path of the cotton to the before mentioned pair of rotary heaters and cod crating with each ofthe same, a rotary va ve atthe outlet, and a suction fan connected to the casing between the rotary valve and the adjacent rotary heater.

path of the cotton, a pair of rotary heaters journaled within the casing upon the opposite-side of the pathof the cotton for cooperation with" the fixed teeth and the first mentioned rotary beater, a trap for each rotary reticulated material arranged at the upper end of each of the traps and extending par tially around .the corresponding rotary heater, a rotary valve at the outlet, and a suction fan connected to the casing between the rotary valve and the adjacent rotary beater. In testimony whereof Iatfix my signature in presence of two witnesses. p

- WILLIAM R. LAMB. {L. s.]

\Vitnesses:

' MARGARET MORGAN,

ELIZABETH M. G. LAMB.

beater of the pair, a curved partition; of 

